Alder Lake is Intel’s first 10nm desktop CPU
Intel has confirmed today in 2020’s second-quarter earnings press release that their 7nm product is delayed by approximately a year. In the same document, the company has also confirmed that Alder Lake, which is now set to launch in the second half of 2021, will be their first 10nm desktop processor.
This is the first time Intel has publicly confirmed Alder Lake architecture, a new hybrid big/small core design for desktop computers. Intel Alder Lake is expected to be codenamed 12th Gen Core series following 11th Gen “Rocket Lake”.
The new architecture will land on a new LGA1700 socket. The series is also expected to be the first to support DDR5 memory, however, previous leaks have shown Intel using DDR4 memory for testing. The new generation of desktop CPUs should also support PCIe 4.0 interface for next-generation GPUs.
Intel:
Intel is accelerating its transition to 10nm products this year with increasing volumes and strong demand for an expanding line up. This includes a growing portfolio of 10nm-based Intel Core processors with “Tiger Lake” launching soon, and the first 10nm-based server CPU “Ice Lake,” which remains planned for the end of this year.
In the second half of 2021, Intel expects to deliver a new line of client CPU’s (code-named “Alder Lake”), which will include its first 10nm-based desktop CPU, and a new 10nm-based server CPU (code-named “Sapphire Rapids”).
The company’s 7nm-based CPU product timing is shifting approximately six months relative to prior expectations. The primary driver is the yield of Intel’s 7nm process, which based on recent data, is now trending approximately
twelve months behind the company’s internal target.
| INTEL Mainstream CPU Series Specs | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VideoCardz.com | Coffee Lake-S | Comet Lake-S | Rocket Lake-S | Alder Lake-S | Meteor Lake-S |
| Launch Year | 2018 | 2020 | 2020-2021 | 2H 2021 | 2022-2023 |
| Fabrication Node | 14nm | 14nm | 14nm | 10nm | TBC |
| Core µArch | Skylake | Skylake | Willow Cove (?) | Golden Cove + Gracemont | TBC |
| Graphics µArch | Gen9 | Gen9.5 | Gen12 | Gen12 TBC | TBC |
| Max Core Count | up to 8 cores | up to 10 cores | up to 8 cores | up to 16 (8 BIG + 8 SMALL) | TBC |
| Socket | LGA1151 | LGA1200 | LGA1200 | LGA1700 | LGA1700 |
| Memory Support | DDR4 | DDR4 | DDR4 | TBC | DDR5 |
| PCIe Gen | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 4.0 | PCIe 4.0 | TBC |
| Intel Core Series | 8th/9th Gen Core-S | 10th Gen Core-S | 11th Gen Core-S (?) | 12th Gen Core-S (?) | TBC |
| Motherboard Chipsets | Intel 300 (eg. Z390) | Intel 400 (eg. Z490) | Intel 500 (Z590) | Intel 600 (eg. Z690) (?) | TBC |
Source: Intel Q2 Earnings Press Release (PDF)